Title
Access barriers to medical facilities for people with physical disabilities: the case of Peru
Date Issued
01 January 2019
Access level
open access
Resource Type
journal article
Author(s)
Publisher(s)
Fundacao Oswaldo Cruz
Abstract
People with disabilities (PWD) face several challenges accessing medical services. However, the extent to which architectural and transportation barriers impede access to healthcare is unknown. In Peru, despite laws requiring that buildings be accessible for PWD, no report confirms that medical facilities comply with such regulations. Thus, we aim to provide an association between these barriers and access to medical facilities. Data from a Peruvian disability survey were analyzed. Participants were 18 years of age and older people who reported having a physical disability. Accessibility was defined by reported struggles accessing medical facilities (health or rehabilitation centers). Absence of ramps, handrails, elevators, adapted bathrooms, and information counters in medical facilities were reported as architectural barriers. The transportation barriers analyzed included struggles using buses or trains. Poisson regression models with robust variance were used to estimate prevalence ratios (PR) and to control for confounding variables. 20,663 participants were included, their mean age was 66.5 years and 57.5% were females. Architectural and transportation barriers reported were 40% and 61%, respectively. All barriers reported were more prevalent in rural compared to urban areas (p < 0.001). Inadequacy of ramps, handrails, and adapted elevators and bathrooms were associated with limited use of rehabilitation centers (p < 0.001) but not of health centers (p > 0.05). Architectural and transportation barriers represent a hindrance to seeking treatment at rehabilitation centers. Actions to improve this situation are needed.
Start page
e00050417
Volume
35
Issue
12
Language
English
OCDE Knowledge area
Políticas de salud, Servicios de salud
Subjects
Scopus EID
2-s2.0-85076025250
PubMed ID
Source
Cadernos de saude publica
ISSN of the container
0102311X
Sponsor(s)
This project was supported by NIH Research Training Grant # D43 TW009345 funded by the Fogarty International Center, the NIH Office of the Director Office of AIDS Research, the NIH Office of the Director Office of Research on Women’s Health, The National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute, the National Institute of Mental Health and the National Institute of General Medical Sciences.
Sources of information:
Directorio de Producción Científica
Scopus